Most golfers know Titleist as the “number one ball in golf,” and sort of as a spin off of that, Bridgestone has deemed themselves to be the “number one ball fitter in golf.” However, there is another “number one” ball in golf, and those are made by Volvik, “the number one colored ball in golf.” While Volvik balls haven’t yet found their way into the bags of too many male golfers, they have a huge share of the market in the ladies game and have many LPGA players in their stable. That is starting to change as of late as the company has added both Craig Stadler and Tim Petrovic to their list of players, as the former became the first player to use a green ball at the Masters just a couple of weeks ago.
Like any golf ball manufacturer, Volvik makes a few different models of golf balls including a “tour level” ball. The unique thing about Volvik’s upper echelon ball, the Vista, is that it doesn’t use a urethane cover that the vast majority of golfers use and expect. Instead, the company uses a cover made from zirconium. Similar to titanium, zirconium is a transition metal that is used in small amounts to resist corrosion. Volvik is currently the only company using it for their balls, and it allows them to create a cover that they say is softer yet more durable than those made by others. The Vista comes in two different version, the iV and the new iS. Both balls are 4 piece balls, using the company’s dual core, a bismuth mantle layer and the Zirconium bonded cover. Both balls are also 95 compression, however, the iV rates at 54 or the Shore D hardness scale while the new iS comes in at only 45, making it one of the softest in its class. Volvik says that both balls perform similar to one another with the exception that the iS will feel a bit softer and give even more spin on shots around the green. The iS is available in orange and yellow versions, while the iV can be had in yellow, orange, green, pink or white.
While the Vista is truly unique in many ways, the company has added another premium ball to its line-up with the new White Color S3. The name of the ball is due to the fact that the company is calling this a hybrid of a white and color golf ball. The ball has a white base and a blue-pearl finish that makes it easier to see while in flight. It is, essentially, a colored golf ball for the most traditional of golfers. It isn’t just the white cover, however, that sets this ball apart from others in the Volvik line-up as it is also the only ball that uses a urethane cover. The one issue, usually, with urethane covers is they are prone to scuffs and scrapes. Urethane’s lack of durability is at least one reason the company has avoided it’s use to this point, however, with the new White Color, the company has employed a new special coating allowing for the urethane to be extra durable. In addition to the soft urethane cover, the ball has a dual power core that utilizes Bismuth metal. Bismuth expands by 3.5% in volume leading to a large energy transfer and superior distance. According to Volvik, the White Color is slightly shorter off the tee than the Vista (just a little) but produces the most spin and has the most feel of any of the balls they produce.
All three of the company’s premium balls, the Vista iV, Vista iS, and White Color carry a price of $44.95.